Defensive midfielder-cum-stopper Benjamin Stambouli has signed for Paris Saint-Germain on a five-year, €8m deal from EPL side Tottenham Hotspur and is looking forward to taking his career to the next level.

Montpellier boss Rolland Courbis has said there is 'something of Varane' about new central defender/defensive midfielder Ramy Bensebaini, who has joined La Paillade on loan - with an option to buy - from Algerian side Paradou AC.

In their meeting on June 18, 2015, the LFP's Administrative Council ratified the match calendar for Ligue 1's season 2015-16. The campaign will kick off on Friday, August 7, as champions Paris Saint-Germain travel to LOSC Lille.

Nehterlands right-back Grégory van der Wiel has expressed his desire to ignore interest from Manchester United and stay with Paris Saint-Germain despite the uncertainty surrounding the extension of his current contract.

Olympique de Marseille forward Florian Thauvin has insisted that he wants to put a tough season behind him and hit his straps with the southern giants - despite rumours linking him with a move to EPL side Newcastle United.

Ligue 1 News Archives

Bazdarevic shown the door

Mécha Bazdarevic has been relieved of his duties as Sochaux coach, the former Lionceaux midfielder paying the price for a disastrous season so far that has seen last season's fifth-placed side win just four matches.

Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe announced on Tuesday that Bazadarevic, as well as assistant coach Stephane Gili, had been removed from his functions as head coach of Sochaux's first team.

Hély steps in

Bazdarevic will be replaced until the end of the season by Eric Hély, who will be assisted by Sochaux's head of recruitment Bernard Genghini, who is also a qualified professional football coach. Hély, a former Sochaux player, has been part of Sochaux's coaching staff since 2003, taking the youth team featuring many of the club's current first-team stars to Coupe Gambardella glory in 2007 before taking the reins of the reserve team.

Bazdarevic had huge shoes to fill when he stepped into replace Francis Gillot at the reins of Sochaux in the summer, but as a firm fan favourite during his 308-game stint as a player for the club from 1987 to 1996, Bazdarevic returned to Sochaux as something of a prodigal son.

Tough times

Very few expected that a side who won through to a Europa League place with a swashbuckling finish to the 2010-11 campaign - who boasted a wealth of young talent including France playmaker Marvin Martin and Algerian international Ryad Boudebouz - would sink so far in the very next season.

With form reminiscent of Bazdarevic's last Ligue 1 club Grenoble, under the Bosnian Les Lionceaux have lost 13 of their 26 league outings, drawing nine and winning just four, with a goal difference of -18. They also failed to make it through the play-offs for a place in the Europa League's group stage and fell at the first hurdle in both the Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France.